A Kind of Magic
by Jemmiah
Summary: Hokey religion, superstition...the force is no match for a little Corellian trickery!


TITLE: A Kind Of Magic

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"Whatcha starin' at?" 

Jemmiah eyed the little kid with scarcely disguised distaste, even though he was only some four or so years younger that she herself was. There was something about kids that she just didn't like. Perhaps it was the fact that they smelled so bad. Maybe it was the way they always seemed to drool and dribble, or their instant ability to look like they'd been playing in a garbage silo. Perhaps it was their childish earnestness that so set her teeth on edge.

Perhaps it was because she had been denied her own childhood.

Why oh why oh why did Evla want to work with these ghastly creatures, Jemmiah wondered, observing the runny nosed kid as he stopped by her shoulder, breathing force knew what germs all over her. What was the appeal? And not just one - but hundreds of them! Was she out of her mind?

"The floor, kid. What's it look like to you?" The Corellian scowled, rubbing at the floor outside the crèche wing with a large, dirty cloth that had clearly seen better days.

"Why?"

Why? Now therein lay a tale…

"Because of the magic creature that's on the floor." Jemmiah replied, screwing up her face in concentration at the shiny floor tiles beneath her feet. "Can't you see it?"

The boy squinted, nose so near to the ground that Jemmiah thought he was about to topple right over into the nearby pail of water. "Can't see a 'fing." He declared roundly. "What is it?"

"It's a…floor sprite." Jemmiah answered, tying her long tangled hair back from her face and trying to remain as composed as possible. "You see, only the best jedi can see it. But you have to be quick, or it moves!"

"Really?" The little boy stared up at her with beguiling blue eyes that reminded her somewhat of Obi-Wan.

"Would I lie to you?" Jemmy crossed the wrong side of her chest with one finger. "But you see, you need the magic cloth in order to see the floor sprite. They live underneath the tiles. You have to wash the floor really quickly to reveal it…and you never know where it'll pop up next."

"Can…I have a go?" The boy held out his hand. "Please?"

"I dunno…see it's a magic cloth and you're not s'posed to go around handing them out to just anybody…" 

Jemmiah saw the youngsters face fall with disappointment and actually felt sorry for him. That was the thing about kids; give them something to believe in, something magical and their imaginations did the rest. Sometimes the dreaming was better than the reward itself. She'd had so little to dream about in her life until she'd been brought to Coruscant. Perhaps it was good to let the kid have his fun…

"Okay, seeing as it's you and I like you so much." Jemmiah very gently picked up the cloth and handed it to the little boy, who turned it over so reverentially in his fingers, staring in total awe of the magical object, that Jemmiah had to stifle her own giggles. "But you have to be very careful with it and treat it right. Remember, soak it in the water first and then wring it out a little. Then put it down on the ground…yes, that's right. Now, start moving the cloth about…no, faster than that or you won't be able to see the sprite."

"Like this?" The beautiful eyes stared up at her for confirmation.

"Just like that. Hey, you're a natural with that magic cloth! I think it likes you." Beamed the Corellian. 

"Really?!?" 

"Oh, yeah! I think that cloth was made with you in mind…wait! Did you see the floor sprite…oh, darn! It's moved over there!" Jemmy pointed slightly to the boy's right, watching as the child whipped around to his side, staring. "Do you see it now?"

"N-nope." The child frowned. 

"Well, nevermind. Keep scrubbing away with the magic cloth and you're bound to see it!" Jemmiah instructed, continuing to direct the child to the spot where the sprite had disappeared. "Thataway!"

"Whatcha doin?" Another voice said behind Jemmiah, tugging her on folds of her pinafore. 

"Looking for the floor sprite." Jemmiah answered, not taking her eyes from the little boy. "There it is! Catch it quickly before…oh, bad luck!"

"What's a floor sprite?" The blonde, ringletted girl looked up at her, fascinated.

"It lives in the tiles. Only special people can see 'em." Jemmiah grinned, indulging the children in their game. "You need a magic cloth to reveal them."

"I want the magic cloth!" Pouted the little girl, stamping her foot. "I want a go!"

"It's mine!" cried the boy. "It likes me! Go'way!"

"But I want a go!" wailed the girl. 

"Hold on, hold on…" Jemmiah wracked her brains for the answer. "See over there? We have a magic mop! You go look for the floor sprite over in that corner. Maybe if you both work towards each other you can herd it into the middle of the floor! Then you can both see it!"

The girl toddled away towards the mop, an amusing sight in itself, as the mop handle was actually far taller than she was. Certainly it didn't seem to stop her from looking at the floor tiles, enraptured with the idea of searching for the now infamous floor sprite. Jemmiah smiled, happy that her game was causing such amusement.

Fifteen minutes passed. 

Fifteen minutes of near misses: "Oh, that was close! You nearly had it!" and "These floor sprites sure move quick, huh?" Jemmiah was beginning to exhaust her repertoire of enthusiastic outbursts when a larger shadow fell by her shoulder, casting a dingy reflection off the tiles.

"What is going on?" the voice asked incredulously.

Jemmiah turned round to smile up at the astonished face of Master Qui-Gon Jinn.

"Oh, hi there." She laughed breezily at the huge figure, taking no notice of the imposing frown that creased the tall man's forehead. "I didn't see you for a moment."

"Evidently." The dry voice replied, his arm outstretched to indicate the two hard at work six-year-olds scrubbing animatedly at the floor. "But perhaps you'd to tell me what is happening here?"

"I dunno." Jemmiah's face became sheepish. "But they sure are getting a lovely shine on this floor…"

Her eyes widened, hearing a very familiar voice hailing her from inside the adjacent room.

"Jemmiah! Jemmiah are you still out there? Have you finished that floor yet?" Evla Sovalla called out, sounding more than a little displeased. "Because you're punishment hasn't finished yet! There are plenty of windows that need scrubbing as well…"

"Think I'd better be off." The Corellian mouthed to Qui-Gon, walking backwards over the slippery tiled surface outside the crèche. 

"Where to?"

"To catch the magic turbo lift!"


End file.
